2 Out. For what offence?

Val. For that, which now torments me to rehearse:

I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent;
But yet I flew him manfully in fight,
Without false vantage or base treachery.
1 Out. Why ne'er repent it, if it were done so.
But were you banish'd for so small a fault?
Val. I was, and held me glad of such a doom.
1 Out. Have you the tongues?

Val. My youthful travel therein made me happy,

Or else I often had been miserable.

3 Out. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a King for our wild faction. I Out. We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

:

Speed. Master, be one of them: it's an honourable kind of thievery.

Val. Peace, villain.

2 Out. Tell us this; have you any thing to take to? Val. Nothing, but my fortune.

3 Out. Know then, that some of us are gentlemen,

Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth

Thrust from the company of awful men:

My self was from Verona banished,

For practising to steal away a lady,

An heir, and near ally'd unto the Duke. (14)

04

こ

2 Out.

(14) An Heir and neice ally'd unto the Duke.] Thus all the Impreffions, from the first downwards. But our Poet would never have express'd himself so stupidly, as to tell us, this Lady was the Duke's Neice, and ally'd to him: For her Alliance was, certainly, fufficiently included in the first Term. Our Author meant to say, she was an Heiress, and near ally'd to the Duke: an Expression the most natural that can be for the Purpose, and very frequently used by the Stage-Poets.

So in Romeo and Juliet.

This Gentleman, the Prince's near Ally.

So in Beaumont and Fletcher's Sea-Voyage.

yet that We may learn

Whether they are the fame, or near ally'd
To Those, that forc'd me to this cruel Course.

So in B. Jonson's Every Man out of his Humour.
Some fuch cross-wooing, with a Clown to their Servingman,
to be thus
and familiarly ally'd to the Time.

better than

near

So

2 Out. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman
Whom, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart.
I Out. And I for such like petty crimes as these.
But, to the purpose; for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives;
And, partly, seeing you are beautify'd
With goodly shape, and by your own report
A linguist, and a man of such perfection,
As we do in our quality much want;

2 Out. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man,

Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you;
Are you content to be our General?

To make a virtue of necessity,

And live, as we do, in the wilderness ?

F

:

3 Out. What say'st thou ? wilt thou be of our con

fort?

Say, ay; and be the captain of us all:
We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee;
Love thee as our commander, and our King.

1 Out. But if thou scorn our courtefie, thou dy'st.

2 Out. Thou shalt not live to brag what we have

offer'd...

Val. I take your offer, and will live with you;

Provided, that you do no outrages
On filly women, or poor passengers.

3 Out. No, we detest such vile base practices.
Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews,
And shew thee all the treasure we have got;
Which, with our selves, shall rest at thy dispose.

So in Law-Tricks, by John Day.

That notwithstanding my Wife's near Allyance

Unto the Duke, I purchas'd a Divorce.

And so in Soliman and Perfeda;

Fly, ere the Governour have any News,

Whose near Ally be was, and chief Delight.

And in a Number of Passages more, that might be quoted.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to an open Place, under Silvia's Apartment, in Milan.

Pro.

Enter Protheus.

A Lready I've been false to Valentine,

as unjust to Thurio.

Under the colour of commending him,
I have access my own love to prefer:
But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy,
To be corrupted with my worthless gifts.
When I protest true loyalty to her,
She twits me with my falfhood to my friend;
When to her beauty I commend my vows,
She bids me think, how I have been forsworn
In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd.
And, notwithstanding all her sudden quips,
The least whereof would quell a lover's hope,
Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love;
The more it grows, and fawneth on her still.
But here comes Thurio: now must we to her window,
And give some evening musick to her ear.

Enter Thurio and Musicians.

Thu. How now, Sir Protheus, are you crept before us? Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for, you know, that love

Will creep in service where it cannot go.

Thu. Ay, but I hope, Sir, that you love not here. Pro. Sir, but I do; or else I would be hence.

Thu. Whom, Silvia?

Pro. Ay, Silvia, for your fake.

Thu. I thank you, for your own: now, gentlemen,

Let's tune, and to it lustily a while.

Enter Host, and Julia in boy's cloaths.

Hoft. Now, my young guest, methinks, you're al

lycholly: I pray you, why is it?

Jul. Marry, mine Hoft, beeause I cannot be merry.

L

Hoft.

Hoft. Come, we'll have you merry; I'll bring you where you shall hear musick, and see the gentleman that you ask'd for.

Jul. But shall I hear him speak?

Hoft. Ay, that you shall.

Jul. That will be musick.

Hoft. Hark, hark!

Jul. Is he among these ?

Hoft. Ay; but peace, let's hear 'em.

SONG.

Who is Silvia? what is she,

That all our Swains commend her ?

Holy, fair and wife is she,

The heav'n such grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.

Is she kind, as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness:
And being help'd, inhabits there.

Then Silvia let us fing,

That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling :
To her let us garlands bring.

Hoft. How now? are you sadder than you were be

fore? how do you, man? the musick likes you not. Jul. You mistake; the musician likes me not.

Hoft. Why, my pretty youth?

Jul. He plays false, father.

Hoft. How, out of tune on the strings?

Jul. Not fo; but yet so false, that he grieves my

very heart-strings.

Hoft. You have a quick ear.

Jul. Ay, I would I were deaf; it makes me have a

Hoft. I perceive, you delight not in mufick.
Jul. Not a whit, when it jars fo.
Hoft. Hark, what fine change is in the musick.
Jul. Ay; that change is the spight.

Hoft. You would have them always play but one thing?

Jul. I would always have one play but one thing. But, host, doth this Sir Protheus, that we talk on, Often refort unto this gentlewoman?

Hoft. I tell you what Launce, his man, told me, he lov'd her out of all nick.

Jul. Where is Launce ?

Hoft. Gone to seek his dog, which to morrow, by his master's command, he must carry for a present to his lady.

Jul. Peace, stand aside, the company parts.
Pro. Sir Thurio, fear not you; I will so plead,

That you shall say, my cunning drift excels.

Thu. Where meet we?

Pro. At St. Gregory's well.

Thu. Farewel.

[Ex. Thu. and Musick.

Silvia, above, at her Window.

Pro. Madam, good even to your ladyship.

Sil. I thank you for your musick, gentlemen:

Who is that, that spake?

Pro. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's truth,

You'd quickly learn to know him by his voice.

Sil. Sir Protheus, as I take it.

Pro. Sir Protheus, gentle lady, and your servant.
Sil. What is your will?

Pro. That I may compass yours.

Sil. You have your with; my will is even this,

That presently you hie you home to bed.
Thou subtle, perjur'd, false, disloyal man!
Think'st thou, I am fo shallow, fo conceitless,
To be seduced by thy flattery,
That haft deceiv'd so many with thy vows?
Return, return, and make thy love amends.
For me, by this pale Queen of night, I swear,